Aussies silent on Cluxton absence

THE AUSTRALIAN camp were careful not to make too much of Ireland captain Stephen Cluxton’s absence from yesterday’s pre-test press conference.

Along with manager Anthony Tohill, vice-skipper Ciaran McKeever appeared at the event while coach Rodney Eade and captain Brad Green attended for the Australians.

In the promotional photographs for this morning’s game, Armagh’sMcKeever posed with Green and the Cormac McAnallen Trophy. Asked if he felt Cluxton’s absence was unusual, Green said: “No, not really. Any press conferences you do sometimes you have different players turn up so no, not really.”

Eade added with a laugh: “I think he’s a very quiet man, isn’t he, Stephen?”

Meanwhile, Tohill, who praised the Etihad Stadium venue, said he would have preferred if the game was not played under a closed roof.

“Fantastic environment and a fantastic place to play football. The surface is beautiful like a carpet and it’s an ideal arena. If you can’t play football on that then you can forget about it.

“Obviously, we would rather the roof was open and we would rather it was howling a gale and p***ing from the heavens but you guys [Australia] have taken those variables out of the game. It’s a new experience for our guys playing in a closed arena and it’s a wonderful place to be.”

Tohill dismissed the suggestion the series has been sanitised since the violent scenes that threatened its future in 2005 and ‘06.

“If you’re out on the pitch, you’d be well aware of the intensity. Just because there are no dust-ups, if you like, there is still physical confrontations in those games which are very demanding on the body. Real physical confrontations, not aggression or violence.

“I think the series as it was last year and as it was in 2008 were played in a very sporting way.”

As a follow-up question on that subject, Tohill was then asked by an Australian journalist if he had heard of Richmond tough man Jake King.

“He’s a lively character. He’s an interesting guy so we’re looking forward to seeing how he adapts to the round ball.”

Queried just how much he knew about the Australian players, Tohillrevealed they had sourced video footage of them on video website YouTube.

“We know more now because the internet’s a wonderful creation and I never thought YouTube would be as useful as it has been over the last few weeks. The world’s a very small place now and you can find out a lot about the Australian players. We probably know more about them now than in previous tours.”

Australia captain Green, a club-mate of Ireland’s AFL legend Jim Stynes who is currently battling cancer, said he spoke with the Dubliner last week.

“Jim’s going through some tough times in his life and we wish him all the best at the moment. He’s a great man, Jim, and he’ll keep fighting.

“He just said good luck and hoped it would be a great series and the best team wins because I’m sure he’s out there supporting the game rather than the two countries by themselves.”